Strands
by Kate1013
Summary: It wasn’t just about saying goodbye, it was also about welcoming new beginnings. Missing scenes, post Threads, SJ.
1. Admittance

Title: Strands

Author: Kate1013

Spoilers: Threads... yeah... I know...

A/N: Okay so you've read it all before, and to be honest I really didn't want to write this, but it wouldn't just leave me alone, and I succumbed... What can I say? Didn't really mean for it to expand the way it did, or feature certain people quite so heavily but alas, here it is...

* * *

It was late when he finally sought her out.

He peered into the apparently empty lab, hands on the doorframe either side of his body. The lights were on and the door wide open, and he knew she hadn't gone home. It took a few seconds for his eyes to scan the room, until finally settling on a pair of boots tucked away in the corner.

He wandered in, his steps light and slightly hesitant. She was sitting on the floor, back to the wall, head resting on her knees and a small velvet box lying no more than a foot away.

Jack slid down the wall to sit beside her.

"I just called Pete..."

He didn't respond, merely shifted, and Sam could sense the tension in his body no matter how much he tried to mask it. She looked up at him, eyes seeking his as he tilted his head towards her. His expression was deliberately blank, and Sam didn't have it in her to voice what she really wanted to say. "I told him to meet me at the house tomorrow."

The true words screamed over and over inside her head but all she could do was stare at him and hope somehow he understood. His eyes seemed to soften somewhat and she saw him glance quickly at the discarded ring.

"Do you think he knows...?"

"Yeah," Sam whispered and nodded her head up and down. Tears pricked at her eyes and she turned away as two lone drops fell silently down her cheeks. Closing her eyes, Sam took a deep breath and wished them away. Hoping against hope that Jack wouldn't misinterpret them, and yet at the same time scared that he would understand what they really meant.

"I meant what I said, you know..." Jack's voice was soft and so quiet Sam almost thought she'd imagined it. "I'm here for you," He added, obviously seeing the question in her eyes.

Her throat tight, Sam merely nodded. "What about...?" Her voice cracked and she winced at the very sound of it, even as she let it trail off.

He didn't need to answer. The tilt of his head and the look in his eyes told her all she really cared to know at that moment, but Jack pursed his lips and attempted a smile anyway. "Gone," he told her.

They sat in silence for a few moments, the air between them thick with unspoken emotions. Risking a glance in his direction, Sam looked up to see Jack's adam's apple bob in his throat.

"Did you manage to get hold of your brother?"

She nodded and wiped at her face with her sleeve, throwing him a quick glance. "He'll be arriving in a few days." Another onslaught of tears threatened to take over and she turned away, frightened by how suddenly easy it was for her to be overcome with grief.

Mere seconds passed before Jack put his arm around her and pulled her into his chest. She felt him sigh when she let go, letting the tears fall and the sobs rack through her body. She hadn't wanted this; hadn't wanted to break down in front of the one person she had taught herself to be strong around, and for so long. The walls that she had so carefully built up over the years were in real danger of tumbling down. Sam wasn't sure what was going to happen when the pain was over and she realised that she had nothing to hide behind any longer.

Somehow, she didn't think Jack knew either.


	2. Four Letter word

It was early when he arrived at hers two days later. The sun was shining, the air warm and filled with a light morning breeze. Jack bounced up to her front door, heading round the back a few minutes later when he got no response.

"Hey," He called softly, appearing on her back porch. He found her sitting on a wooden bench, wearing nothing but jeans and a t-shirt, her hands wrapped around a mug of coffee.

"Hey," Sam called back, taking in his relaxed stance and non-work clothes. Though part of her was surprised to see him, the other part totally wasn't. He seemed to be keeping his word – seeking her out and being there for her when she needed it. In the past she had found it somewhat oppressive, he and Daniel and Teal'c constantly hovering around her when she was sick or injured. This time though, it was different. Jack seemed to come and go, holding her and giving her space in equal measures, as though he could somehow read her mind.

She smiled up at him, motioning to the empty spot beside her on the bench with her head. Jack responded with a smile of his own and settled down beside her. He looked down at her bare feet, her painted toe nails twinkling up at him and reflecting from the sun. Their blue shimmers reminded him of the stargate's event horizon and he glanced up at the woman beside him, somewhat surprised by the femininity of it all.

Sam simply smiled at him, and shrugged, taking the last gulp of her coffee.

"It's a beautiful morning," Jack stated, suddenly at a loss of what to say. He'd come here to make sure that she was alright. He was worried that she hadn't been sleeping, that she wouldn't have eaten and that the events of the past few days would be taking their toll. In truth, he was quite surprised to find her appearing somewhat serene, soaking up the morning's sun and relaxing in a way that he'd never seen before.

"It is," Sam replied, nodding her head in agreement. She turned her head to look at him, her lips parting, poised to speak.

But Jack beat her to it, his mind racing before he had the chance to think. "How did it go with Pete? I didn't get the chance to ask before," He waved his hand in the air, "What with everything going on..."

Sam smiled grimly. "Better than expected." She saw Jack's eyebrow rise. "He didn't react quite how I thought he would..." Jack simply nodded and Sam grimaced when the remaining words left her lips "I kind of told him that too..."

"Ah..." Jack looked into her eyes, his expression soft and full of compassion. "The whole, 'we didn't really know each other after all' type of realisation..." Sam nodded but remained silent. "Well," Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Better than the alternative, I guess."

Sam snorted, watching as Jack's eyes changed to that of curiosity. A true smile appeared on her lips and for the first time in days she felt a warm sensation fill her chest. "Better late than never, you mean?"

"I didn't say that."

"No, but you were thinking it."

Jack's face snapped back to hers, the calm and easiness beginning to wear off a little. Sam could see the sparks of concern threatening to take over and she reached over to squeeze his hand. "It's okay," She said, "It was a mistake - the whole thing with Pete..." Sam hesitated slightly, "I can't say that it wasn't fun, but... I didn't love him."

After a beat, she expelled a shaky breath, her hand still on top of his, not daring to move it. A comfortable silence settled over them both and they gazed out into the back yard, watching as the light breeze made the trees sway and birds jumped about in song.

"What happened with Kerry?"

If her words hit him out of the blue, Jack didn't show it, merely turning to look at her with sincerity in his eyes. He shrugged, releasing a sigh before shaking his head. He looked like he was having an internal argument with himself and Sam pursed her lips, wondering if now was the right time to bring it up.

Jack cleared his throat. "Apparently being in love with someone while you're in a relationship with someone else is a big no-no." He shrugged again, attempted a light smile and threw it her way. The truth of his words took a while to register, and it wasn't until he saw the look on Sam's face that his own eyes widened in shock.

They sat staring at each other, time feeling like it was slowing to a stop, neither daring to move or say anything. Then, as if by some miracle, they heard the doorbell go. Both jumped, their eyes quickly darting away from each other and Sam's hand flew back into her lap.

"I'll get it," Jack said, jumping up to his feet before Sam could even respond.

Jack raced to the door, half expecting it to be Daniel and Teal'c. Then realising that Daniel was still in the infirmary, and that it was only 0700 hours, he frowned peering at the shadows through the glass door in curiosity. He unlocked the latch, and pulled the door open, somewhat surprised.

"Hi," he said, taking in the couple standing before him and the two young children by their sides. The four pairs of eyes stared back, just as confused and Jack raised his eyebrows, his survival instincts kicking in.

"I'm Mark," The man said, sticking his hand out to greet Jack, "Sam's brother?"

"Oh!" Jack stuck his own hand out and shook the one that was offered to him. "Jack O'Neill – I work with Sam." He watched as the other man nodded, both dropping their hands while Jack rocked backwards and forwards on his heels. "Come on in!" Jack stood aside and waved the family in, suddenly feeling awkward about the fact that this wasn't his house, and technically he had no right being here. The strange vibes he was getting from Sam's brother didn't help, but then he couldn't really blame him. If some strange guy was at his sister's house at seven in the morning, and _wasn't_ her fiancé, then he would be confused too.

"Carter?!" Jack called, motioning for the family to follow. He stepped outside, everybody in tow and turned to face the blonde still sitting on the back porch. He didn't need to say anything, for in seconds she was on her feet, crying out at her brother in surprise and pulling him into a hug. Jack watched silently as the family briefly caught up, followed by a round of hugs, happy at the relief that swept over his second in command's face.

"Why didn't you call?" Sam asked, looking scornfully at her brother. "I would've collected you from the airport."

Mark simply shrugged. "Well we rented a car – thought it might be easier to get around, especially if we're staying awhile. Besides... we half didn't expect you to be up just yet..." His expression changed and Jack could see the question residing in it.

"Are you kidding?!" Jack cried, going for the humour tactic. "Carter never sleeps! In fact," He looked at his watch, tapping it dramatically, "This is actually late for her..."

Sam threw him a 'Sir, what are you doing?' look and Jack simply smiled and shrugged. "After eight years and you don't think I know what time you sneak in and out of that lab of yours?"

"I think I need to brush up on my stealth technique," Sam muttered, loud enough for all to hear. She shook her head, hiding a smile and peering over at her brother fearing his reaction.

To his credit, Mark ignored their interchange. "We, er, left the luggage in the car," He said motioning towards the front of the house and heading inside.

"I'll give you a hand." Jack said, sparing Sam a quick glance before disappearing after her brother.

-0-

"I know things haven't always been easy," Jack said, taking a suitcase from Mark and placing it on the ground beside the car, "But I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry about your Dad. He was a good officer."

Mark paused, giving the man before him a good once over. It was obvious from his words that Sam or maybe even his father had said something. But Jack's actions didn't give anything away. He carried himself in true military fashion, complete with blank unreadable expression.

"You've worked with Sam a long time..."

It was more of a statement than a question, but Jack nodded all the same. "Worked beside your father a few times too..." Jack shrugged, not knowing what point they were both trying to make. "He was proud of her... proud of you too."

Mark's brown eyes burned into his and Jack simply stared back. After a beat, the younger man turned and looked away. A few seconds passed before he picked up another suitcase from the trunk and passed it to Jack.

"Were you there?" Mark's voice was small land quiet.

Jack swallowed and silently cleared his throat. He knew what he was asking. "Yeah..."

"Is Sam okay?"

"She's... doing better than I thought she'd be," Jack replied honestly.

Her brother gave him another glance, watching as Jack rocked back on his heels. "We'd better take these inside." Mark simply stated. He slammed the door of the trunk and headed back on up the path. Within seconds both men were back inside.

-0-

"Sam?"

He'd just stepped back inside the door and Sam looked up at the mention of her first name on Jack's lips. He smiled, apologetically almost, and she saw his shoulders rise and fall in a half shrug.

"I'd better go ... I need to check up on Daniel."

Sam hugged her arms to her waist. "Will you say hi from me?"

Jack merely nodded, saying goodbye to her family, before turning to leave.

"Jack?" Sam's voice made him pause and he turned to find her standing close. He watched as she bit her lip, then reached up and put her arms around him. "Thank you," She whispered, giving him a quick squeeze before letting go. They shared a smile, before he turned and slipped out of the door. The sun washed down over his face and he tilted his head up to the sky, savouring the heat. He only moved when a gust of wind whipped his face and forced him to open his eyes.


	3. Words of Wisdom

It was a few days later, the day of the funeral, that it finally hit him. The burning sensation that had slowly been growing in his chest was ready to burst and it wasn't until Daniel started explaining to Teal'c about how the Tau'ri deal with grief in different ways, that Jack realised just what the swell in his chest meant.

The serenity that had clouded them all for the last few days had finally given way that morning. The consort of military vehicles and waving American flags had created an uneasy tension between Sam and her brother, and by the time the coffin was laid into the ground, the first waves of tears had graced the woman's cheeks. The siblings had resolved their issues mere minutes later but the tears remained a firm fixture on Sam's face throughout most of the day and Jack had made sure that each of her friends were nearby at all times.

The reception was held at Sam's house, the one thing she insisted on despite Jack wanting to organise it all for her, and within minutes the place was full of various military personnel, some from the SGC, other's from his life before, and also some random family members that Jack was sure neither Sam nor Mark knew that well.

It was sometime in the afternoon, when Jack was busying himself in the kitchen that General Hammond appeared by his side and offered his words of wisdom. Clapping Jack on his shoulder, the older man turned to him, the words "how are you holding up, son?" slipping from his lips and forcing Jack to listen to what he had to say.

Ten minutes later and George's voice changed tone. Jack looked up to see Mark entering the kitchen, his face still ashen and tired.

"George," Mark nodded to the General and stuffed his hands into his pockets, "Thanks for contacting Dad's old friends; I'm sure he would have appreciated it."

"No problem, son." Hammond nodded in response, before turning back to Jack. "A few of us are staying in town for a few days, why don't you join us for drinks one night?"

Jack thought he saw the man wink, but nodded, feeling another squeeze of his shoulder before Hammond excused himself to speak to someone else. The two men watched in silence as he approached one of the gate technicians and fell into conversation.

"You know George very well too?"

"Yeah," Jack sighed, "Sometimes I forget how well he knew your family before I started working at Cheyenne Mountain."

Mark looked up at the man by his side. "He and Dad served together many times... Sam and I used to call him Uncle George for years."

Jack huffed in attempt to laugh. "Yeah, she let it slip once – the team ribbed her about it for days..." The men shared a smile before Jack added, "Don't tell her I said that, though... That woman is a very good shot."

Mark smirked, and Jack watched as his smile faded and was over taken by a serious expression. "Look," He began, "Don't tell Sam this either, but Dad called me a few days before he died..." Jack remained silent, a single eyebrow raised in question. The other man simply scanned his face, taking in the worry lines and concern that he'd been trying to hide for most part of the day. Mark shrugged absently. "It was after he'd met Pete... He told me I was stupid to have set them up in the first place... Gave me some speech about Sam settling and ignoring what she really wanted..." The man sighed, looking down at his feet before giving in to whatever plagued his mind. "Sam didn't really go into detail about why they split up, but I think this had something to do with it." He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Jack. "One of your colleagues gave me this today. Dad had him write it before..." Mark's voice faltered and he looked up, his blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I think you should read it..."

Jack stared at the white envelope in his hands. The name 'Mark Carter' was scrawled on the front in Teal'c's handwriting. His mouth opened and closed momentarily, and he grimaced at the squeak his voice made when he finally spoke "Me?"

Mark merely nodded. "I'm pretty sure he mentions you..."

-0-

Half an hour later and Jack has discarded his tie and jacket, both flung over the bench he was sitting on, at the bottom of the garden. The familiar footsteps broke his reverie but he didn't look up, waiting silently until the person chose to sit down beside him.

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked, his voice soft and quiet, his head bowed down and staring at both of their feet.

"Not really," Jack ran a hand down his face. He watched as Daniel's head snapped up instantly, the shock registering on his face as Jack turned to him with a smile. It wasn't one that reached his eyes though, and the other man knew it was just for show. Jack waggled the envelope in front of him and Daniel leaned in, seeing the name and handwriting. "How's Sam doing?" He asked, ignoring the other man's raised eyebrow.

"About ready to break..." Daniel admitted with a sigh. He took his glasses off, rubbed his nose and put them back on again.

Jack simply nodded his head up and down for bit before meeting Daniel's gaze. "Give this back to Sam's brother, will ya?" He shoved the envelope into Daniel's hands and jumped up from the bench, grabbing up his clothes before heading off.

Daniel simply stared at the letter, unsure if Jack had given him permission to read it or not.

-0-

Jack found her in the kitchen. He put down a selection of glasses he'd picked up on his way, and stopped to look at her. "You shouldn't be doing that, Sam," he sighed, watching as she loaded the dishwasher.

She looked up at him, then pointedly at the glasses he'd cleared up and gave him a similar look. The standoff lasted mere seconds before she shrugged and continued what she was doing. Giving up, Jack decided to help her and the two of them worked in silence until Sam cleared her throat.

"Are you okay?" She asked, pausing to look at him.

Jack's eyes met hers, suddenly softening under her gaze. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

A small sad smile danced between them, and as though something within them both shattered, their masks fell away. Jack was unsure who reached out to who first, but within seconds they we're both wrapped up in each other's arms, squeezing each other tightly.

"It's been a hard day," Jack sighed, breathing in the scent of her hair as he buried his face in her neck.

"I know," Sam whispered, her own voice muffled by Jack's shirt. "I..." Her words faded out, only to be replaced by a sob Jack was sure vibrated through to his own chest. He pulled her tighter, letting her cry and willing his own resolve not to break. Taking deep breaths, Jack attempted to control his breathing and slow his heart, certain that if he did, Sam would be okay.

Minutes later when Sam's cries had subsided, Jack pulled back and looked at her. "Feel better?" He asked. Sam nodded and wiped at her face with her hands. "Hey," Jack scolded softly, knocking her hands back with his own. The hands that had been rubbing up and down her arms just seconds ago were now wiping the moisture from her cheeks. Sam smiled gratefully and simply rested hers on his chest, unsure of what to do.

As if sensing her unease, Jack stopped, dropping his hands to her shoulders and smiling down at her. "Maybe you should go get some rest?" He asked, seeing the fatigue across her face. "Everyone's starting leaving already anyway..." He added. A look of uncertainty filled her eyes and Jack was sure, if he hadn't of pushed her, she'd still be wandering the house attempting to mingle.

"Will you thank everyone for me?" She asked, her voice sounding small. She refused to meet his eyes for a moment, stealing herself some resolve before raising her chin. "I don't think I have the energy," she admitted. Jack simply nodded before giving her shoulders a quick squeeze. "Jack...?"

He looked at the emotions flickering in her blue eyes, her lip that quivered before she brought it between her teeth. "You go on," He ushered, "I'll come find you when they're all gone."

"Thanks," Sam whispered, and reached up to give him a quick kiss on his cheek. She smiled at the surprised look on his face before stepping out of his embrace and heading upstairs.

Hours later, when the house was clean and empty of extra guests, Jack peered into her room to find her sound asleep. He smiled, turned out the light and headed downstairs to say his goodbyes. Stepping outside into the cool night air, he gazed up at the stars and pondered. The day was so much more than the mourning of a friend. It wasn't just about saying goodbye, it was about welcoming new beginnings. Hammond's words echoed in his mind and Jack sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. Maybe he'd take his advice after all.


	4. All in Good Time

A/N: Wow, I'm glad you guys are liking this! This has seriously taken ahold of me today and I can't seem to stop writing...

* * *

Sam fell asleep an hour into their car journey. One minute they were discussing what radio station to listen to, the next she was snoring softly. Jack smiled as some classic rock track filtered out of the speakers - a station she insisted he left on – and risked a glance at her sleeping form. He turned the volume down and sighed silently. He knew she hadn't been sleeping well.

Half an hour later and Jack's phone chirped, making him jump and Sam bolt upright in her seat. "It's okay," he reached his arm out in attempt to calm her, before dropping his hand to pick up the offending device. "Daniel!" He barked into the receiver, throwing Sam an apologetic look. "You trying to kill us?!"

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Sam frowned down at the blanket covering her body, and glanced up at Jack. He was interspersing 'uh-hu's' with 'Daniel' every few seconds, his eyes firmly on the road.

"Okay," he said, before finally hanging up and looking over at his companion. "Danny and T aren't going to make it for another few days... something about a Jaffa council thingy." Jack waved his hand in the air in some sort of gesture before making eye contact. He sighed, a little frustrated, they were already meant to be coming up a day late as it was.

Sam frowned at the blanket again, before responding. "So... It's just you and me for a while, huh?"

Jack paused, sensing her confusion, ""You... Okay with that?"

Sam smiled. "Why wouldn't I be?" She watched Jack's mouth open and close as he tried to form an answer, but it wasn't until she laughed out loud that anything got passed his tongue.

"I don't know," he shrugged and risked a glance in Sam's direction. She still held a big grin on her face and Jack cursed the fact that he was meant to keep his eyes on the road. "Hey, throw a guy a bone here, Carter!"

The smile met her eyes, "Sorry!" She said, raising a hand to her mouth to cover up a yawn. "How long was I asleep?" She asked.

"Not long... We're almost there."

Sam shifted in her seat, sitting up straighter to gaze out of the windshield. It was late afternoon and the sun was still out, casting a golden glow among the trees. She watched as birds flew high above them and chirped through Jack's open window. There was a sense of serenity about the place, and Sam instantly felt a pang in her chest. She turned to Jack, ready to say what was on her mind, but something out of the corner of her eye distracted her and she turned back to the road. A cabin was just coming into view, the turn off just a few metres away and partly obscured by trees.

Jack slowed the truck and pulled into the driveway, putting the vehicle in park. Within seconds Sam had leapt out of her seat and was walking up to the house. Jumping out behind her, Jack dug into his pocket for his keys and unlocked the door. Gesturing for her to enter, he headed back to the truck for their bags, leaving Sam to her own devices.

Seconds later Jack was dropping the bags on the floor and kicking the door shut with his foot. He paused as he looked up, Sam turning to face him with an odd expression on her face.

"This is so... you," She said, a smile lighting up her eyes.

Jack simply shrugged. "That's a compliment, right?"

Sam nodded, a sudden wave of embarrassment sweeping over her unbidden. She turned her head, not wanting him to see it, and gazed out of the back window.

"Wanna see round back?" He asked, sensing something amiss and motioning outside with his head. Sam simply nodded and followed him as he opened the door. He led her to the decking and paused, waiting until Sam came to a stop beside him. Jack smiled, knowing full well that she'd been startled by the simple beauty surrounding them.

"It's beautiful," Sam whispered, turning to look at him. The sun was currently falling behind the trees, a purplish glow emanating from behind them and sparkles of light hitting the water of the lake.

Jack tore his gaze from the scene and shrugged at her. "Always knew that you'd like it..."

"Thanks for inviting me," Sam said suddenly, eyes seeking his.

He stared at her for a moment, a million thoughts running through his brain. All the times that he'd asked... "I'm just glad that you came," he uttered quietly.

"I wanted to... before I mean, when you asked me before...." She let the words dwindle out, not sure if now was the right time, or if there ever would be a right time to tell him how sorry she was for rejecting him time and again.

"Hey," he tugged on her hand, turning to face her as his whisper forced her eyes to meet his.

"Too many things stood in the way before," she sucked in some air, aware of the emotions threatening to emerge. She was still too raw to keep them fully at bay – always being reminded of their constant presence in light of recent events.

"I know," he said simply.

She squinted up at him, eyes searching his for answers; roaming his face, body, for the little things that might give him away. "Do you? Because I'm not even sure myself right now-"

"Sam..."

Her eyes watered at the mere mention of her first name and she closed them briefly before returning his intense gaze. "There are so many things that I want to say..." she added, her voice thick with unshed tears.

Jack simply leaned forwards and placed a kiss on her forehead, pulling back slightly to murmur in her ear, "All in good time..." He gave her hand a quick squeeze before taking a step back and forcing a smile upon his lips, grateful when she did the same. "C'mon," he said, pulling her towards the cabin, "I'll make you dinner... you fancy some fish?"

He could sense Sam frowning behind him, wiping at her eyes as she spoke, "It's not one you've caught is it?"

Jack couldn't help but chuckle to himself, "No," he called over his shoulder, and shook his head as he looked back at her.

"What?"

He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked, even with puffy red eyes and exhaustion lining her brow. "Nothing..." Jack simply smiled and dragged her inside.


	5. When the Night Begins

A/N: I love you people - it's been a tough week and your reviews just made my day! Thanks! Now, I'm not big on song fics, but I do _love_ my music - this chapter was written while listening to some early Fleetwood Mac. Bonus points to anyone who can work out what track was on a loop when this wrote itself. If it helps set the mood, slip on a cd and enjoy.... :)

* * *

The meal, by both standards, couldn't have gone any better. With a combination of can't cook, won't cook and what little food supplies they had, the two of them managed to rustle up something that not only looked good, but tasted good too.

The conversation went pretty well too. In fact, initially, Sam was worried. How much in common did they really have? Apart from work, what did they ever talk about? Was this infatuation with him, which she'd carried around for years, still just hero worship? Okay, so she knew the answer to the last one – the last time she'd thought like that, she'd had a serious knock to the head and ended up going out with Pete... No, she really didn't want that to happen again. To be honest, she knew it was just nerves settling in. That was, after all, why it had taken her years to work up the courage to say those things she'd so desperately tried to say in Jack's back yard.

But, she had to admit, the man pleasantly surprised her. He'd dug out an old record player that was hidden in a box somewhere and stuck on a 70's rock compilation. The sound of strings and electric guitars filled the isolated cabin and Sam couldn't help but smile – he'd obviously listened to her comments about his love of the talk radio station that seemed to be a permanent fixture in his truck.

"Hey, I like music too," He'd said at the raise of her eyebrow, and so began their discussion on the gigs they'd been to as teenagers, their hideous fashions, and what would have really happened if they'd forgotten about the Stargate and gone to Woodstock in 1969 after all.

Sometime later, when the record had got stuck and Jack replaced it with another, his tone got serious and he looked over the table at her, eyes wide and uncertain.

"There's something I need to tell you," Jack began, "General Hammond is retiring..." He let the words play out for a while, watching as Sam simply blinked back at him. He narrowed his eyes at her lack of surprise, but continued talking, in spite of it. "He's offered me his old job – Head of Homeworld Security," He sighed, and Sam put her glass of wine back down onto the table.

"I know," She said softly. Jack's eyes grew wider. "He told me." She watched as Jack nodded, mulling the words over in his head. "He, uh, offered me a job too..."

"Area 51?" Jack asked.

A smile graced Sam's lips, "He told you too, huh?"

"Oh, yeah!" He laughed then, shaking his head in disbelief.

Sam took another sip of her wine. She glanced at their empty plates, somehow wishing for a distraction, at least something that she could do with her hands. She settled for turning the stem of her wine glass instead, rotating the glass in circles on the spot. She swallowed, "Are you going to take it?"

Jack shrugged. "I've been thinking about it." He paused and looked up at her. "You?"

Sam nodded. "The same..." She felt her stomach tighten, feeling the tension heighten in the room. She bit her lip, not able to look at him and hating the fact that a cloud was forming over their otherwise enjoyable evening.

"You know," Jack said, forcing her to meet his eyes, "He also told me that if I was to take it, Area 51 wouldn't necessarily need to be under my command..."

Sam's eyes lit up and a slow smile gradually crept upon her lips. "Really...?" She responded, drawing the word out.

"Uh-hu," The smile jumped from her face to his, "Said he'd have words with the President..."

Her smile promptly turned into a grin. "You know, I don't think that I will ever look at George Hammond in the same way again..."

Jack laughed, and they looked at each other, their faces reflecting the relief they both felt. "Dessert?" He asked.

"Do you have cake?"

"Sam," he said, and she watched as he got to his feet, loving the way her name sounded on his lips. "So long as you're here, there will _always_ be cake..."

Her laughter followed him into the kitchen, and continued well after dessert had finished.


	6. Not An Hallucination

A/N: Have yet to decide if this is the last chapter or not. Thanks for the reviews and messages!

* * *

The following morning Jack taught Sam how to fish. He set up her line, added some bait and placed the rod in her hands. Sam had looked down at it in disbelief, still not entirely sure what she was letting herself in for. Jack had simply chuckled at the expression on her face and shook his head.

It wasn't until he came up behind her, placing his arms around her, that Sam's interest was piqued. She was standing on the edge of the dock, the rod that Jack had given her sitting tightly in her hands.

"Don't strangle it," Jack scolded. He placed his own rod down in a contraption that Sam was sure he'd told her the name of. Taking a few steps, he appeared behind her, his hands reaching out and covering hers. Her breath hitched in her throat, the warmth from his body seeping through to hers as he closed the distance between them. He rearranged her fingers, his face peering over her shoulder and hovering next to hers. "That's better," He murmured, his breath whispering across her cheek. Sam stilled, only relaxing into his embrace when his hands dropped and rested on her waist.

"Do you think it's going to rain?" Sam asked, glancing up at the sky.

Clouds covered the blue sky and it had blocked out the sun for most part of the morning. But the air was relatively warm and both had been happy relaxing outside in nothing but jeans and t-shirts.

Jack shrugged around her tall frame, "Hope not." He moved his hands and rubbed at the goose bumps that had emerged on her arms. "But I'm gonna get you a jumper," he added and stepped away, leaving a cold expanse of air where he once stood.

He reappeared seconds later and placed a cardigan around her shoulders, still rubbing his hands up and down her arms, despite no longer needing to. Sam turned and looked at him, a small smile lighting up her face.

"What?" Jack asked, and slowed his hands to a stop.

"I'm just... surprised how easy all of this is."

Jack looked at the fishing rod and then up to her face. He leaned forwards and nuzzled his nose into the side of her neck. "You think too much," He uttered, and placed a kiss behind her ear. Giving her arms one last squeeze he stepped backwards and walked over to her side.

Sam watched as he bent down to pick up his own rod and sat down in the deckchair behind him. Taking his cue, she did the same and settled into the chair beside his.

It was a long time before the tingling sensation on her neck disappeared.

-0-

Several hours and a full bottle of wine later, the two of them were sat on the floor in front of the fire. It was dark, dinner had been consumed long ago and the only sound came from the crackling fire.

"Do you believe in fate?" They were resting up against the couch and Sam rolled her head back onto the cushion. She turned to face him, watching as Jack processed the words that had just left her lips. "All those alternate realities we've come across..."

Jack frowned, peering into his wine glass. "Not to mention all those alternate timelines..."

"Thinking about the video?"

"Yeah..."

"What do you suppose we did?" Sam asked.

Her genuine interest made Jack meet her gaze. "In Egypt?" Sam nodded. "Well," Jack sighed, "I can imagine most of the time was spent making sure Daniel didn't die..."

A roll of laughter emerged from deep within Sam's throat and she watched Jack pause, his mouth slightly hung open as he stared at her. She licked her lips, unable to help herself. "I was jealous," She admitted, tearing her own eyes away from his face.

"Of Daniel dying?"

"No," She smiled at the bewilderment in his voice, "Of all those other 'me's in the other realities..."

"Oh..."

"It always seemed that they had it so easy." Her fingers brushed his arm as she placed her glass of wine on the floor. The heat from the fire assaulted her in waves, but she could still feel his own warmth radiating from his body as he sat close by.

"I don't know," Jack said, his words almost a whisper. His shoulder bumped hers lightly and she turned from the mesmerising flames to look up as he continued. "I kind of like where we are now..." He looked into her eyes, a small smile appearing when she didn't turn away. "No evil aliens roaming the galaxy, free Jaffa creating their own worlds, balding generals playing matchmaker..." They shared a smile and Sam ducked her head, taken aback by the intensity in Jack's eyes.

One deep breath later and Sam raised her head. "You mean, just the two of us, a fire and a cabin, miles from anywhere...?" Her voice had taken on a leery tone and she had to laugh at the bemused expression on Jack's face.

"And the fish," He added, wagging his eyebrows at her.

"How could I forget the invisible fish?"

"You may mock me, Samantha... What?" He asked, suddenly seeing a frown forming on her face.

"Nothing," Sam shook her head, trying to dispel all her thoughts. But Jack's raised eyebrow glared at her and she sighed, relenting. "I just... remembered the last time you called me that, that's all..." His brows furrowed and Sam graced him with a small smile. "I told you it was nothing."

"When did I last call you Samantha?" Jack asked, his mind curious enough to not want to let it drop.

"I was hallucinating..." Sam let the words escape in a sigh. "On the Prometheus, when I hit my head," She added, still seeing him frown. She cringed inwardly, staring down at the rug that sat on the wooden floor in front of the fire.

"What happened?"

Sam looked up into his eyes. She paused, a series of images bombarding her mind. It felt like so long ago and yet... She shook her head again and Jack merely tilted his head, reminding her that he was still waiting for an answer.

"You gave me a pep talk," She revealed finally, "Made me realise how to save myself..."

"You almost sound disappointed."

"I was." The words escaped before she even had the chance to think. She gave him a sheepish smile and shrugged lightly. "There was... something else on my mind at the time."

"Oh?"

"Yes, 'oh'..."

She let the words dwindle out, content not to elaborate any further. She looked down at the rug again, tracing the patterns with her mind and swirling the last of her wine in her glass.

Seconds later, Jack reached out, hooking a finger under her chin and turning her head to face him. He smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, before leaning down to kiss her. His lips were soft, and Sam closed her eyes, allowing herself to succumb to his caress. His tongue probed her lips and she let him in, deepening their kiss. His hands stroked through her hair and she reached up, hooking her own behind his neck, pulling him closer.

The need to breathe separated them moments later, and Sam found Jack's forehead leaning against her own. She smiled, seeing a slight question in his eyes.

"So much better than I imagined," She breathed.

"Well, I'm definitely using your full name more often," Jack murmured.

A laugh left her lips and Jack moved forwards, capturing hers with his own again.


	7. Catch of the Day

A/N: So I finally caved and have written another chapter - your comments have inspired me to write some more! I have some ideas at how to answer some of your questions, but they're not written yet. Work is being most annoying and demanding all my free time so I'll try and update as soon as I can.

* * *

Sam watched as the fish dove back into the pond. She turned to look at Jack, her eyes narrowed and lips twitching.

"Hey guys!" Daniel called, as he set down the cool box before wandering over to them with a bottle each. "What have you been up to?"

Teal'c set up their deck chairs and moments later Daniel sat down, his gaze turning to the two at the end of the deck.

"Nothing much," Jack shrugged and took a swipe of his beer. "How you doing T?"

"I am well, O'Neill." Just as Teal'c finished his reply, another fish jumped up into the air.

"Er... was that a fish?"

"I believe it was, Daniel Jackson."

"Jack?" Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose and studied the man's face. "I thought your pond didn't have fish."

"I..." Jack waved his free hand in the air, "May have been wrong..."

"Then this means that we may have changed history," Daniel said, his voice taking on both an excited and yet concerned tone at the same time. He looked at his companions faces. "Isn't anyone else worried about this?" He glanced from Jack to Sam. "Sam?"

She shrugged. "We've defeated the Goa'uld and the Jaffa are free... I'm quite happy with the way things are right now."

Daniel stared at her for a moment, taking in her relaxed state, the rod in her hands and the loose smile on her face. "Who are you and what have you done with Sam?"

Jack chuckled and shook his head. "I told ya that fishing would be good... Ain't that right T?"

"I do not recall my last fishing experience being relaxing, O'Neill."

Jack glared at the Jaffa before deciding to let it drop. "What's that in your hand?"

Teal'c looked down at the gadget in his hand. "It's a Samsung TS100, 5 mega pixel, 3 times optical zoom..."

Jack zoned out as Teal'c continued to spout technical jargon, only glancing back at his friend when he noticed that he had stopped. "Most people just say 'a digital camera'." Teal'c merely responded by snapping a shot of his annoyed commander. Jack opened his mouth, ready for another retort, but a small shriek from Sam tore his gaze away.

"I think I've got something!" Sam cried, standing up on her feet and leaning back with the rod tightly gripped in her hands.

"Slowly," Jack said, getting to his own feet and moving to stand behind her. He grabbed hold of the rod, placing her right hand onto the dial and urged her to wind it back. "That's it, easy does it..." They all stared as a large fish emerged from the water, dangling from Sam's line and flapping wildly in the air.

"I can't believe I caught a fish!"

Jack threw her a grin, one arm still wrapped loosely around her waist. "I told you that you'd enjoy this!"

Sam graced him with one her big smiles and watched as he left her side, walking up to the fish and separating it from the hook.

"Looks like Sam caught us some dinner!" Jack cried, looking over at the other two. "What do you say guys?"

"Is that... uh... safe to eat?" Daniel moaned.

Jack simply shrugged and turned back to the blonde standing nearby. "Sam?"

"Aren't there laws about throwing these things back?" She asked, biting her lip subconsciously.

"It's my pond..." Jack swayed the animal backwards and forwards in front of her. "I'll show you how to prepare it..."

Sam wasn't sure if it was the slight inflection in his voice or the glint in his eyes that made her relent. Despite looking forward to spending some time with Daniel and Teal'c, she had enjoyed spending time alone with Jack over the last few days. Cooking with him in the kitchen seemed like the perfect excuse to extend that.

She smiled before nodding her head. "You're on!"

As Daniel watched the two disappear into the cabin, Teal'c finished snapping his pictures and turned the camera off. "That any good?" Daniel asked.

"It was most wise to bring it," Teal'c simply responded.

"So..." Daniel began, the sounds of talking and laughter filtering out from inside the kitchen. "That letter that you gave to Sam's brother...?" Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "He gave it to Jack to read," Daniel added, answering the alien's silent question.

"I did not write it," Teal'c stated, cutting Daniel off before he could continue.

"You didn't?"

"It was given to me by a member of the Tok'ra when I returned to Earth. I believe Jacob Carter didn't wish for his daughter to know if it's existence."

"And you couldn't tell her brother where it really came from, so..." Daniel gestured with his hand.

"Indeed."

"Did you read it?"

"I will not reveal its contents, Daniel Jackson."

"No," Daniel sighed, "I didn't think you would..." He picked up the empty bottles by his feet. "Another drink?"

Teal'c bowed his head in reply and Daniel got up, heading for the kitchen. The sounds from earlier had dissipated and as he stepped through the back door, he was struck by the sudden silence. He took a few steps forward, the kitchen coming into full view and almost walked into the dining table when the sight struck him.

Daniel's mouth opened and closed, no words coming out as he stared at his friends. The sound of the table leg screeching against the floor jolted the couple apart and broke their kiss; the noise appearing loud in the now deafly silent cabin.

Daniel stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked at the floor. "I just came to get some more drinks," he said sheepishly, finally finding his voice. The echo of the fridge door opening and closing, caused him to look up and he saw Jack pass a bright red Sam a cold beer, before heading towards him with a few more in his hand. "Thanks," Daniel stuttered, accepting his drink and clearing his throat.

Heading back outside into the garden, he watched as Jack threw Teal'c a can of coke and settled back down into his deck chair. Moments later Sam appeared, pressing the cool bottle against her flaming cheeks. Jack grinned over at her as she sat down beside him. Sam shot him a glare but it soon disappeared, only to be replaced with a small smile.

"How were your preparations?" Teal'c enquired.

"It took a little longer than we thought," Jack stated and everyone's gaze turned back to the water.

-0-

Sometime later and the four team members were seated around Jack's dining table, plates filled with the infamous fish.

"This," Daniel pointed at the food plate with his fork, "is fantastic!" He shovelled in another mouthful. "I can't believe we haven't done this before."

"Hey, I asked plenty of times," Jack complained. Then as though fearing the outcome of his own statement, added, "But I guess this is kind of fitting..."

"Fitting?" Daniel asked, just as Jack shot Sam a look. She smiled back at him, washing her own mouthful down with a glass of wine.

Jack cleared his throat, glancing down quickly at his plate, before raising his eyes to the two men sitting opposite him. He nodded his head, "Yeah, you see I've kind of decided that my last act as head of the SGC is to grant you permission to go to Atlantis..."

He dropped his left hand under the table, seeking out the part just above Sam's knee and squeezing gently. She tilted her head slightly in his direction, sending him a silent signal that she was okay. She finished her food and concentrated on Daniel instead, pretending to ignore the man beside her.

The man in question just continued to blink rapidly. "What?"

"I'm letting you go to Atlantis," Jack reiterated. He watched as Daniel slowly pushed his glasses back up his nose and turned to Teal'c. The Jaffa had simply raised an eyebrow and was aiming it in all directions. Jack smiled to himself and risked a glance at Sam. She was astutely staring at her plate.

"I believe Daniel Jackson was referring to the words 'last act' in your statement O'Neill."

"Actually I wasn't," Daniel turned to Teal'c, then back to Jack again, his fork waving wildly, "Well, I was, but I was firstly referring to the fact that you're letting me go, and secondly to the part that Teal'c just said..."

"Daniel..." Jack raised an eyebrow at the other man's ramblings.

"You're leaving?!" The words finally tumbled out of Daniel's mouth in shock. "Why?!"

Jack felt Sam's hand slowly rest atop his on her thigh. He threw her a small smile before addressing the confused faces sat across from him. "Well," He sighed, "Teal'c's leaving Earth to help build up the Jaffa council, I'm taking Hammond's old job in D.C. and seeing as Sam's heading to Area 51, I thought it only fair that you get to go off and do your thing...." He waved his free hand in the air in some sort of gesture, while the thumb on his other hand stroked circles on the back of Sam's hand.

A smirk hit Jack's lips as he watched Daniel's gaze flit between him and Sam and back again, before settling on Teal'c and gauging his reaction.

"Hammond's retiring," Jack added, when no other words were forthcoming, "And it's no fun seeing you guys go off world when I can't join you, so..."

"You're leaving..." Daniel said again, this time his voice was soft and barely a whisper.

"At least this way I can still keep an eye on things... There'll be frequent visits to the SGC and Atlantis, and... Other places." He nodded his head at Teal'c and Sam.

"You're sure?" But Daniel's gaze had moved onto Sam beside him, his question more aimed at her than Jack.

She nodded. "General Osborne has asked that I head up the research and development centre in Nevada, and General Hammond thinks it'll be good way for me to develop all my projects without the distraction... And as Jack said with Teal'c leaving..." She looked over at the Jaffa, a sad smile on her face, and then turned to Daniel. "Besides, it's time to move on..." The grip on her hand tightened slightly and she shrugged, trying to break the sadness that threatened to overtake her.

"Wow..." Daniel sighed to no one in particular. The room descended into silence for a few moments, the only sound coming from the clink of cutlery on crockery.

"It appears that SG1 is going their separate ways," Teal'c said suddenly, stating the one thing on everyone's mind. The remaining three nodded and simply looked at each other. The air suddenly felt heavy around them, and Jack worried that maybe he had revealed the news too soon. This trip was meant to be a celebration of their friend's return; a relaxation away from work; a way for Sam to grieve and the rest of them to help her. The sudden tension in the air certainly wasn't on his agenda.

The clearing of Daniel's throat broke his thoughts and redirected his attention. "Well I guess this explains a few things..."

Daniel grinned, before sticking his fork in his mouth and glancing between Sam and Jack. Jack stifled a cough when Teal'c shot him a look, feeling Sam blush again out of the corner of his eye.

"I caught these two kissing in the kitchen earlier," Daniel explained to Teal'c, his words falling out around his food, and his knife pointed in their direction.

A rare smile formed on the alien's lips and he tilted his head in an approving gesture. "I recall a similar experience, a day during one of our time loops-"

"T..." Jack's hand shot up from under the table, dropping Sam's in an instant and wagging it across the table. "Nothing happened during those time loops!" He felt the eyes of an archaeologist and an astrophysicist, scrutinise him.

"Jack..."

"All I did was learn pottery and play golf..."

Jack directed his gaze at Sam, fearing her reaction and yet needing her to know that nothing too untoward... exactly... went on. But instead of seeing anger or fury, his eyes met those of curiosity, her big smile making them shimmer.

"That vase you gave me for my birthday that time...." She had an eyebrow raised at him, a slight leer in her voice.

Jack swallowed, "I made it..." He admitted, sighing and shutting his eyes. A warm hand enclosed his, resting on top of the table. He allowed her fingers to link with his and then opened his eyes. He could hear Teal'c mentioning the fact that he handed in his resignation on more than one occasion, but the voice got drowned out by the sound of blood pumping in his ears. The smile lighting up Sam's blue eyes was all he could concentrate on and if it weren't for the other two people still sitting at the table, Jack would have leaned forwards and kissed her then and there.

He'd done it in front of everyone in that control room... To hell with it, he thought, and leaned in to do just that.


	8. Moments

Sam was the first to go to bed. The fact that it was late and they'd all stayed up talking for hours didn't make much of a difference. Teal'c disappeared half an hour later, claiming his sleep patterns had never stabilised since his need to use Tretonin. Jack had simply eyed the other man warily as he'd stood up and disappeared down the hall.

"So..." Daniel picked at the label on his empty bottle of beer.

"You're not tired?" Jack asked, wondering how long it was going to take for Daniel to get to the point. He knew that Teal'c had been filling him in on a few things since he'd descended and after his and Sam's recent display, he knew it was only a matter of time before his friend attempted to quiz him on the situation.

"You know, when you've been in some weird state of consciousness for a certain amount of time, sleep doesn't really seem all that appealing... especially after spending some time in the infirmary."

Jack simply nodded his head.

There was a silent pause before Jack couldn't take it anymore. "So, you gonna come out with it?"

"What?"

"Whatever it is you wanna say?"

Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose and continued to fiddle with the bottle in his hands. "Since when have you been keen to talk about.... things?"

Jack's mouth opened and closed momentarily as he studied the man opposite him in front of the fire. The other man continued to frown and Jack simply shrugged.

"I don't know..." He replied honestly. "A lot has happened recently... and Sam..."

Jack hung his head and Daniel cleared his throat before looking up and taking the plunge. "Does this all have something to do with what was in that letter?" He asked.

"You didn't read it?"

"No...I...er... didn't think you wanted me to..."

Jack simply nodded his head up and down, contemplating the reason behind his friend's actions. His fingers began subconsciously picking at the rug on the floor beneath him. "Thanks...."

"Your...welcome?"

Jack couldn't help but smile at the confusion on Daniel's face; the way that he shrugged his shoulders up and down and continued to frown in his general direction.

"It was just a letter from a dying man to his son..." Jack uttered, after a long sigh, "I'm proud of you, that sort of thing..." Jack waved his hand in the air in a half hearted gesture.

"And Sam?"

"Well... there was bit about instructing Mark to look after her, make sure she didn't get in trouble..." Jack paused looking up at Daniel for a second before turning back to the fabric in his fingertips, his voice growing small. "Jacob mentioned something about making sure she didn't think about things too much, that her brother should make sure she acted with her heart for a change and not her head..."

Jack watched as Daniel swallowed. "Such as...?"

Jack simply stared into the other man's eyes, unable to say the words. Written in plain sight they were hard to digest, especially given the day on which he had read them. Everything that he and Sam had been through was summed up in a few simple sentences, his name never mentioned and yet glaringly obvious – even to her brother whom he had never met until afterwards.

Another stretch of silence rolled out between them, neither looking in the other's direction and Jack cleared his own throat before continuing. "She came to _me_ you know..." He looked up to see Daniel's eyebrow rise. "Sam..." he clarified. "Pete had just bought her a house; she panicked and ended up making her way to my place..."

"Oh?"

"Yeah..." Jack sighed, "She was about to confess all," his arm began waving again, "Then Kerry came out and-"

"Kerry?"

"Yeah Johnson, you know, the CIA agent..."

"Really?!" A clear look of surprise was evident on Daniel's face.

Jack levelled him with a stare. "Then Walter called," Jack continued, deciding to ignore the other man's question. "Which at the time I was thankful for...." He winced, recalling how relieved he felt for the intrusion and yet now felt guilty for the thought ever crossing his mind.

"And?" Daniel asked, his curiosity now getting the better of him.

"Well that pretty much leads us to this point..." Jack shrugged at his friend.

"It does?"

A small smile lit up Jack's face. "Yeah..."

Jack watched as Daniel squinted over at him, eyes knitted together, his glasses highlighting that fact. He shook his head momentarily, the smile still on his lips, and got up from the floor. Picking up a few bottles, he headed into the kitchen, Daniel hot on his heels.

"I am happy for you, you know?" Daniel said, placing some more bottles on the counter. Jack simply looked up at him, his expression blank. "You have thought this through though, right?"

One of Jack's shoulders sagged a little, his head tilted to one side, sarcastic comment ready to emerge. "Daniel..." He sighed, "Do you know how long this has been running through my brain?"

Daniel shrugged apologetically – he had a pretty good idea how many years this had been on both of his friends' minds, even if they couldn't quite pinpoint it themselves. "Just... don't... screw this up," He added finally, a bottle gesturing in the air. He threw Jack a lopsided smile, trying to get his point across and yet not appear unsupportive.

"I won't," Jack replied, voice steady, his eyes boring into Daniel's.

They stared at each other for a moment, both absorbing each other's words, knowing that the other sincerely meant theirs too.

Eventually Daniel nodded, releasing the bottles in his grasp and turning from the kitchen counter. He patted Jack on the shoulder, neither looking the other in the eye, before murmuring something about hitting the sack and turning to leave the room.

"Daniel?"

He turned round at the sound of Jack's voice.

"You have permission to kick my ass, if I do..." Daniel simply nodded, his hands stuffed in his pockets, eyes on the floor. "Or at least get Teal'c to." They shared a smile, the previous tension dissipating into a more comfortable exchange.

"You deserve this, Jack - to be happy.... you both do..."

This time it was Jack's turn to nod silently, both keeping each other's gaze. "I'm going to miss this, you know...?"

"Of all the Jack O'Neill moments..." Daniel began, a faint look of recognition on Jack's face causing his words to dwindle out.

"Don't... be a stranger."

"I won't." Daniel smiled sadly. "You neither..."

Jack nodded in agreement, and with one simple nod of his friend's head, watched as Daniel turned and vanished down the hall. For a few spilt seconds, Jack stared at the bottles on the counter, before sighing and turning out the light. He glanced at the door to Sam's room, a slight smile on his lips before turning and heading to his own room. Daniel was right, for once. He finally felt as though he deserved this.


	9. Constellations

A/N: I have been waiting to write this scene for so long - it's been rattling around in my head for ages and due to working overtime, I haven't been able to post as much as I'd like. Thanks for the reviews and encouragement people - enjoy!

* * *

It was a full five minutes before Sam heard the soft patter of bare feet on the deck behind her. Although it was dark and the rustle of wind in the trees masked most of his movement, Sam knew who it was even before he placed a blanket around her shoulders and sat down beside her.

"I didn't mean to wake you," She said, as Jack crossed his legs to match hers, their knees practically touching.

"You didn't," Jack almost sighed, and Sam could hear the restraint in his voice. He must have heard her tossing and turning for the several hours that she'd attempted to succumb to sleep. His eyes widened momentarily as she turned to face him, seeing the wet trails running down her cheeks. Sam wiped at them absently before turning away again to look out at the pond before her.

"I'm fed up of crying," She uttered, sniffing a little before taking a deep breath and letting it go.

"It will take time," His voice came back. It was soft, gentle and ever so tender, and Sam couldn't help but feel her heart squeeze just a little within her chest.

"I know," she whispered, and she looked into his eyes, feeling his hand rest on her knee and squeeze gently. "I wasn't... it wasn't Dad..."

She saw Jack's eyebrow rise, ever so slightly, and marvelled at how unguarded his face was. Normally it was a rare occurrence, but she'd been seeing his emotions play out more and more lately, unsure if it was all the strain they'd been under recently or because their levels of intimacy were constantly upping a notch.

"Mom..." She added, sensing he was still waiting for an answer. The word came out thick with emotion, and she shook her head in spite of herself, closing her eyes and wishing the tears away. "And Janet..."

Jack sat silent beside her and despite willing the words to leave her lips, nothing came out. She looked up at him, hoping that he would understand. That the changes she was going through, the joy she was experiencing of being with him, wasn't just tainted by her father's death, but of those she'd lost long ago. The ones she wanted to talk to and gossip with about the new man in her life. About the little things she was only just discovering about him; of the way her heart felt like it constantly stopped several times a day. She frowned, realising that she'd never felt the need to do that when she was with Pete.

"I'm scared," She whispered, suddenly finding her voice.

"Of what?"

"Of needing you too much..."

The truth was she'd never needed anyone before. Not since her mom had died. Her fierce independence had served her well in the Air Force, and looking back, it was an attribute that many men in her life were attracted to. At the time she hadn't minded, with her career taking precedence she was happy to take and leave what she could as far as relationships were concerned. Even with Pete and his constant need to protect her, she was happy to have that balance and separation.

But with Jack it was different. They were trained to look after each other and had been watching each other's backs for eight years. This dependence they had, had gradually become engrained so deep, Sam was unsure of where Colonel Carter began and Samantha Carter finished. Of course, she felt the same way with Daniel and Teal'c, but it was still different with this man. And she had known that for a long time. It had scared her back then; was why it had been locked away in part of her mind for so long.

Unable to look in his eyes, she glanced at the hand that still rested on her knee. A series of goose bumps appeared on his skin, the hairs on his arm suddenly standing on end.

"I need you too..."

Sam looked up to see him swallow, his adam's apple bobbing in his throat. Tears welled up in her eyes again and she glanced back down at his still arm. Nudging his knee with her own, she shuffled over into his side, removing the blanket from around her shoulder and lifting it to place round his. Jack's own arm came instinctively around her waist, pulling her to him and enveloping them both within the thick cover.

"We should head back inside," He murmured, placing a kiss into her hair.

"I don't want to sleep." And in those five words she realised that she'd told him more than she wanted to about the memories that had been haunting her dreams.

Jack began pulling her backwards anyway, down onto the deck behind them. Sam twisted in his grasp, staring hard at him, feeling anger rise at the disregard of her request.

"Trust me," Jack whispered, returning her gaze and continuing to pull her down with him. He smiled at her as she relented and pulled her closer. "Look up..."

Sam followed his gaze to the stars above. The night was clear, the moon high in the sky and only half visible. Sam's eyes scanned the constellations and she felt a sigh leave her own lips as she gazed at the beauty of it all.

Her hand came to rest on Jack's chest, and she snuggled into his side, laying her head in the crook of his arm, eyes still staring up at the sky. She felt the rumble of his voice vibrate through his chest as he began naming the constellations, absently jumping from one to the other.

"...and that's Marge's hair..." he said, when he reached one he couldn't identify.

A soft laugh worked its way up from her chest and she burrowed in deeper when Jack placed another kiss to her forehead. "Thank you," she whispered, feeling her own body relax into the rhythm of his heart.

"For what?" He whispered back.

"For being here for me..."

"Always..."


	10. Of Junk and Matt Mason

A/N: Sorry for the delay on this - real life has been getting in the way. Glad some are still sticking with it! Anyhoo, I'm off on hols on a few days but will try and post the next chapter before I go. If not, enjoy this bit of squish and fluff. It didn't quite write itself as it was in my head, but alas.... :)

* * *

They had only been back in Colorado for two days before Teal'c had to head back to Dakara. Sam spent the past few days packing, finding herself over whelmed by the amount of junk and belongings that she had built up over the years. Apart from talking to Daniel about which restaurant they should head to that evening, she had spent most of the day surrounded by boxes and sticky tape. That was, until she heard a knock at the door.

"Hey!" Sam smiled at the man stood before her.

"Hey," Jack smiled back, "How's the packing going?"

Sam shrugged with one shoulder, standing back to let him in. "Glad you're here actually – I could do with a break! Fancy some coffee?"

Jack nodded and followed her into the kitchen.

"So how's_ your _packing going?" Sam asked, pulling some mugs out of the dishwasher and boiling the kettle. Jack mimicked her action from earlier, causing a slow smile to form on Sam's lips. "That bad huh?"

"Let's just say that I needed a break too, "Jack sighed, throwing her a grin.

They fell into a comfortable silence until the kettle boiled and Sam placed two steaming mugs of coffee onto the kitchen table. She waited until Jack sat down opposite her before she spoke.

"Mark called last night..." she watched an eyebrow rise but Jack remained silent. "We had a big long chat about everything... and he, well he told me about the letter..."

"Oh?" Jack had put on his poker face and tried to appear nonchalant.

Sam ignored it and simply reached across the table and placed her hand over his. "Thank you."

Jack's eyes widened and he looked up from their joined hands to Sam's face. "For what?"

"For not freaking out..." Sam watched his eyes soften a bit, he was still studying her, unsure of where this conversation was going. She had to smile at that. "Dad was pretty..." She scrunched up her nose and tried to think of an appropriate word, "_Descriptive –_ I always thought we were very discrete with everything but apparently not."

She felt Jack's fingers stroke hers, "Yeah," He sighed, "I thought the same but..." He shrugged and Sam saw his lips twitch up into a small smile.

"He was right, you know?" Sam squeezed his hand and stared right into his eyes. "About how I feel? What he said was true... I just didn't ever want to admit it to myself before..."

Jack's eyes grew wide again and Sam couldn't help the grin that burst onto her face. She leaned over and took his chin in her hand. She placed a brief kiss on his lips before pulling back and sitting back down, her grin growing wider and lighting up her eyes. She watched a myriad of emotions play out across his face, before she squeezed his hand and let go. Picking up their empty mugs, she got up from her seat and turned around, rinsing them out in the sink.

She could hear him clearing his throat, imagining the look on his face as he spoke, "So, do you want a hand with those boxes?" Jack asked.

Sam turned around just as he came to stand behind her. She found herself pleasantly trapped between the worktop and Jack, and watched as a smirk formed on his face. "I think I have plenty of things that you can help me with..."

"I do too you know..." He said, his expression suddenly turning serious, his eyes burning into hers. "Feel the same," he added, clarifying his thoughts and allowing his smile to reappear. "I know I'm not great about talking about 'feelings' but..." He shrugged, "I just wanted you to know..."

Sam smiled, her hands seeking his and holding tightly. "I do," she whispered, "I do..."

-0-

Moments later and Sam dragged Jack upstairs to help with her packing.

"I thought that with all the moving you did as a kid, that you'd be used to 'packing light' and not acquiring such...junk..." Jack called out across the room. He was crouching over a box full of god knows what, picking up each item and studying it rather than actually helping and putting things away. If Sam was honest, she knew that he wouldn't be much help and would use the situation as an excuse to either spend time with her or get to see another side of her by looking through her things without feeling guilty. What did surprise her was her willingness to let it happen. She found herself glancing at him every few minutes, keen to see his reaction to every old toy or book he found.

"What are you calling junk?" She asked, getting up from her position on the floor and walking over to where Jack sat. She sat on the bed behind him, peering into the box over his shoulder. "Oh, that's my Major Matt Mason collection!"

Jack looked up at her, one eyebrow raise and a smirk on his lips. "Collection?"

Sam simply shrugged. "I loved them when I was a kid, thought I'd keep them... you know..."

"In case they'd be worth something?" Jack tried to keep the incredulity out of his voice.

"No..." Sam felt a wave on embarrassment wash over her. "Actually I thought, if sometime in the future, I'd have children..." She shrugged again and tried to avoid his eyes. "I thought it would be a nice thing to pass on..."

Jack, meanwhile simply stared at her for a moment. The figure in his hand dropped back into the box and he slowly rose to his feet. Standing mere inches in front of her own feet, he reached down and pulled her up, encasing her within his arms. Sam daren't make a sound as he merely paused, his face inches from her own, before he leaned down to kiss her.

Some breathless moments later, he pulled back and Sam felt him studying her again. "What was that for?" She whispered, smiling up at him and trying to control her breathing.

"For allowing me to see 'Sam'..."

"In that case," Sam grinned and pulled his lips back to hers.

This time she took it slow, allowing them both time to explore and implore; their hands roaming all over each other subconsciously. At some point Sam felt herself fall backwards onto the bed, Jack coming with her, their mouths still locked and bodies pressed together. Moments later she felt their lips part, her top flying off her head and landing somewhere across the room. She wasn't sure under who's doing it was, but mere seconds later Jack's shirt had joined hers.

"You sure?" She heard him whisper, as soft slow kisses graced her collarbone.

Sam didn't say anything, merely stared into his eyes. A mixture of love, desire and laughter danced in those brown pools of his and she nodded, grinning up at him, and willing her eyes not to water.

He must have seen it anyway, for he paused, looking down at her. "It's my side arm, I swear..."

And when the laughter left her lips, he captured them again, his eyebrows wagging suggestively as he did so.


	11. Nostalgia

They were late to the restaurant. Although Teal'c and Daniel didn't seem to mind; well, at least, they didn't mention anything. Jack and Sam eased themselves into the booth either side of the table and glanced at their friends. Jack mumbled something about rush hour traffic while Sam went for an apologetic smile.

"Going for the steak, O'Neill?"

They'd picked O'Malley's, more for nostalgia's sake than the food, but all had been in agreement and no one had seemed able to think of any other alternative.

"You know, T, I think I will..." Jack put down his menu with a grin, not even needing to look at it.

"Have you really memorised everything on there?" Daniel asked. He pushed his glasses up his nose and peered at Jack over his own menu.

"Daniel," Sam said, trying to stop a grin from creeping across her own face, "I think it's more that he's memorised _one_ thing on there...

"Now _that_ I can believe..."

Jack simply raised his eyebrows at the woman opposite him, and Sam smirked, her eyes sparkling, before dropping them back to decide her own food.

Minutes later the waitress arrived, taking their orders and returning with a few beers and a cranberry juice.

"I have brought you all gifts," Teal'c suddenly announced, once she had gone. Three pairs of eyes looked at him quizzically and the Jaffa allowed a rare smile to grace his face. Reaching under the table, he lifted up three parcels and handed them out. They all stared down at the identical packages in their hands, wrapped in brown paper and with each of their names scrawled across them in Teal'c's handwriting.

"What's this?" Daniel asked.

"Only one way to find out," Jack said, absently shaking his parcel and holding it up to his ear.

After seeing Teal'c give the go ahead with a bow of his head, Sam glanced at the other two for a split second before she began ripping at the paper. Within seconds they were all staring at identical silver photo frames, each containing the exact same photo.

"This is great!" Sam cried, looking at Daniel and Jack before glancing back down at the frame in her hands. An image of the four of them looked back, all with smiles on their faces and arms around each other's shoulders. It was taken at Jack's cabin, the pond and trees in the background. Sam could even remember Daniel's yelp as they'd frantically tried to get in shot as Teal'c fiddled with the timer on his new camera.

The men remained quiet, but Sam knew from their expression that they were all thinking the same thing. "Do you have one?" She asked, looking up at Teal'c by her side.

"Indeed. I am taking one with me to Dakara."

Jack simply nodded his head, as Daniel leaned over the table, "A Tau'ri keepsake?"

"One of many, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied, "I have learnt of many customs during my time here... Maybe someday I can share those with my brothers on my home world when they are ready."

Sam watched the men's heads moved up and down in agreement, before picking up the wrapping paper and intending to discard it. Lifting it up, she noticed another item inside, watching as a small envelope slid out onto the table. Looking up, she noticed the others staring at her, realising that neither Jack nor Daniel had a similar additional package. She narrowed her eyes slightly at Teal'c, taking in his gesture for her to open it. Picking it up, Sam realised its weight, and lifted up the flap to pull out the items inside. A selection of photos emerged, and flicking through them, Sam realised that they were of their entire visit to Minnesota. More than that they heavily featured just her and Jack. There, sat squarely on the top, was an image of them both fast asleep, a blanket wrapped around them and the decking underneath. Sam remembered waking up that morning and slipping into the cabin to find both Daniel and Teal'c sipping coffee at the kitchen table. She hadn't thought much of it at the time, but the former had a sly grin on his face when she'd wished them good morning.

"Thanks Teal'c," She leaned over to give him a hug, planting a kiss on his cheek before settling back into her own space. From the look on Daniel's face, he had already seen them, and she glanced up at Jack, surprised to see him peering over and trying to get a look. "Here," she passed them over and attempted a smile, feeling the prick of the tears in her eyes. Jack simply eyed her warily before reaching out to take them.

"We thought," Daniel began, trying to ease the still air that had suddenly surrounded them, "That seeing as you're both... leaving, you might like them, you know..." He gestured with one hand, looking somewhat awkward and yet Sam couldn't help but think how totally Daniel it was. She grinned at him, her gaze only shifting when she heard Jack swallow and clear his throat.

"They're good," Jack said simply. Brown eyes met blue and he smiled, nodding at the other two in thanks before glancing back down at a photo in his hand. "I like this one," he added, pointing at a shot of Sam with the fish that she had caught. A huge grin was on her face.

"Keep it," Sam said. Jack looked up at her with a longing in his eyes, his lips twitching like he had more to say, and for a moment she wished that they were alone. She made a mental note to talk to him about it later and turned to Daniel before her mind could wander any further. "Toast?"

"Sure," Daniel nodded and picked up his glass, then nudged Jack to do the same.

"Cheers!"

The clink of glasses echoed around the table, and as the food arrived and the banter continued, Sam found herself wiping more than one tear from her eyes. Happy tears, she'd told them after seeing the look of concern on their faces; the tales that Jack told, Daniel's firm denial and the rise of Teal'c's eyebrow all made her cry with laughter as they reminisced.

"I gotta hand it to you Teal'c," Jack said, as the night drew to a close and they stood in the car park, "I found that camera of yours really annoying back at the cabin..." He slapped his hand on the man's shoulder, "But I'm really glad you brought it..."

Teal'c simply lifted an eyebrow and smiled at the General. "Indeed."


	12. Feeling Weird

A/N: Well I'm back from my hols! Thanks for the reviews! Apologies for not responding - I've had loads of stuff to catch up on. Anyhoo, here's the next chapter - sorry it's short! I'm not sure how much life this story has left in it, as I have yet to get the rest of it down on paper... we'll see. Enjoy for now!

* * *

Sam surveyed the room, taking in the site of several half empty cardboard boxes. Her eyes scanned the pictures currently arranged on the mantel piece, finally resting on the group photo. She sighed, picking it up and plonking herself down onto her new sofa.

She felt weird.

Leaving behind a house full of memories had been the right thing to do, she realised. Memories of Pete, of her father... A new place with new furniture made her feel renewed. A new start, with new people, new experiences... She wacked the palm of her hand against her head. What was she doing?! She had the perfect set up back in Colorado – a decent house, good friends, a fantastic job... and yet...

Sam ran a hand over her face. The conflict of emotions had been bubbling away inside her since she had arrived in Nevada. She knew things had to change – too much had happened for things not to. She couldn't just go back to the way everything was before; didn't want to either.

She never thought she'd end up at Area 51, despite the fact that it held a multitude of opportunities. General Osborne had hinted at various avenues in which he wanted her to pursue once she got settled into her new role. She had to admit, her enthusiasm had certainly been increasing with each day that she'd been there.

Picking up the phone, she settled back into her settee and dialled, copying each digit from the slip of paper she'd stuck onto the back of the photo so that she didn't lose it. A few more dials and she'd have it memorised.

"Hey you..."

"How'd you know it was me?" Sam asked, feeling herself relax a little at the sound of his voice.

There was a rustling sound, as though he'd shrugged, "I didn't tell you I was psychic?"

"No," Sam replied, allowing the smile to be heard in her voice, "How I wish I'd known that before..."

Jack chuckled. "Before what?"

Sam let the pause play out for a while before she let slip a small laugh. "So how's your new place?" She asked, changing the subject, "You all unpacked yet?"

There was a pause, where she imagined he scanned his room, "No," He sighed, "Somehow I think it's going to take me a while... You?"

"The same..."

"You okay?"

Sam frowned, then realising he couldn't see her, added, "Yeah, why?"

"I don't know, you sound a little..." She could almost hear him shuffling through the words in his head as he tried to find something appropriate, "Weird," he finally uttered, "Different!" He then added, realising how untactful he was being, "Different..."

Sam paused before sighing loudly down the phone, "Actually I do feel weird..."

"You do?" She knew Jack was surprised at her admision.

"Yeah," Sam let her head rest back onto the sofa and stared up at the ceiling.

"Work going okay?"

"Yeah its good – Osborne is great! He's already got a list as long as my arm, full of things for me to get stuck into."

"And your new place?"

"I like it," Sam said with a smile, "In fact you'll like the garden – it's even got a pond!"

"Pond?"

"Yep!"

"With fish?"

"Don't get your hopes up -it's only a small one."

"In Nevada?!"

Sam snorted, "That's what I thought," She said, her gaze drifting back to the ceiling.

"So...if work's okay and the new place is good..." Jack let his voice drift out and Sam heard some more rustling as he settled back into his own couch.

She remained silent for a moment, her eyes tracing patterns on the ceiling as her mind raced to find an answer. "I don't know..." She uttered quietly, answering his unspoken question.

A stretch of silence played out between them, and if it wasn't for the sound of his breathing, Sam would have thought that Jack had hung up. Finally, she heard him swallow before finding his voice, "You know... I feel a little weird too..."

"You do?" Sam asked.

"Yeah..." Jack responded.

"It didn't feel like this when I left D.C. for Colorado..."

"No..." Jack sighed in agreement, "But then I guess..." He stopped, and Sam heard him rub his fingers across his forehead.

"What?" Sam froze, her head now hovering above the cushion.

"This is different," He said finally. And they both knew that they weren't the words that he wanted to say.

"There's a test mission next month," Sam suddenly cried. She could almost hear his frown down the line. "One of the new 302's," She explained, "The pilot gets to do a demonstration for all the bigwigs in the Pentagon...." She waited a while for the information to sink in and then added, "I'm thinking of volunteering my services..."

"Really?" Jack croaked.

"Uh-hu," Sam nodded.

"In Washington?"

"Yep!"

"You know, I think I might have to insist on viewing this little show..." Sam could hear the smile in his voice, "Now that I'm this supposedly important bigwig and all..." Sam couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Everything's going to work itself out, you know."

Her breath stopped short in her throat, her chest tightening ever so slightly before she sighed and let it go. "I know..."

"Have I ever told you that you think too much?"

Sam laughed, "Several times in fact."

"Well, there you go!" Jack cried. "Now, tell me more about this pond of yours..."


	13. I Spy Cake

Jack strode up the sidewalk and pulled at the collar of his dress shirt. Ordinarily he would have discarded with his tie long ago, but the circumstances of this trip made it somewhat different, and the young officer in the blacked out car at the bottom of the driveway was still there waiting for him to reach his destination.

He had been to Nevada a few times, on both official and social visits, and each time he had made it to Sam's house on the back of her bike or in her car. Never had he abused the tax payers' money and high-tailed it on a private plane and had a chauffeur drop him off. Until now.

His short rap on the front door was quickly answered and Jack found himself being smothered in a tight embrace within seconds.

"I've missed you!" Came the muffled cry from over his shoulder.

"Me too," he murmured, not sure if she could hear him over her own squeals of delight. He pulled back and held the girl out in front of him, inspecting her. Woman, he corrected himself. She was nineteen now after all.

"Why didn't you tell me he was coming?!" Cassie called out over her shoulder and Jack noticed, for the first time, the figure standing in the back of the room.

"I didn't think you would make it!" Sam cried. She was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, a tea towel in her hands. She looked past Cassie and practically grinned at Jack, her statement more of a question to him than an answer for the young woman currently within his grasp.

Jack simply shrugged. "I called in a few favours."

Taking her cue to leave, Cassie gave Jack another quick squeeze before wandering back into the kitchen and announcing his arrival to the other guests.

Taking a step forwards, Jack shut the door behind him and dropped his bag onto the floor. Within an instant another warm body was pressed up against him, giving him a hug before pulling back to claim his lips. "Mmmm..." Jack practically groaned when Sam pulled away, hearing a soft chuckle in response and resting his forehead on hers. "So who else is here?"

"Neither Daniel nor Teal'c could make it, what with everything that's going on, so it's just my brother and his family... why don't you come in and say hi before you get changed?"

Jack visibly stilled for a few seconds, then deciding he was too tired to even worry about anything that this event might suggest, shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "Okay."

A small smile formed on Sam's lips, a slight frown on her forehead and Jack pulled back to kiss it tenderly before she could voice her confusion. Allowing himself to be pulled into the other room, he was greeted by Mark and his wife who were sitting at the kitchen table. He could see two children, not quite teenagers, through the French doors playing in the garden with Cassie outside. What with the time difference and his plane journey, he'd managed to arrive early evening, and the sun was still out, allowing them to take advantage of the warm air.

"You remember Melissa?" Sam stated more than asked, and Jack held his hand out to shake the one that was offered to him.

"Mark," Jack nodded to Sam's brother and reached over to shake his hand too, all the while aware of the man's wife staring at him as he did so.

"Cassie sure is glad to see you," Mark said, his eyes also wandering to Jack's uniform.

Jack unbuttoned his collar and tugged at his tie, "Yeah, well, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it – didn't want to get her hopes up. Made sure Sam here didn't tell her," He nodded in Sam's direction and threw her a smile. "I _need _to get out of this suit," he added, his tie coming loose in his hands. He turned to face her and watched as she nodded, trying not to blush.

"Shower's all yours if you want to use it."

Excusing himself, Jack slipped away upstairs. He felt a sigh escape his lips, unsure if the tension leaking away was the remainders from work or the thought that Sam's brother might question the fact that he knew where to disappear to.

-0-

Half an hour later and Jack was back in the kitchen, fully showered and changed. "Have the presents been dished out yet?" He asked, standing next to Sam as she stuck a lone candle into a chocolate cake. She looked up at him, the scent of his aftershave causing her to pause momentarily as it met her nostrils.

Nodding she replied, "Well, I wasn't sure if you were going to make it, so..."

Jack simply shrugged, bellowing out the young woman's name and watching as she stumbled into the kitchen and stopped at his feet. Pulling an envelope out of his back pocket, Jack presented it to her with a smirk. "Happy birthday," He said, handing it over.

Cassie glanced down at the object in his hands, her mind racing with various possibilities, before she took it and ripped it open. A loud gasp escaped her lips and Jack watched a huge grin light up her face before she cried, "Oh my god! Uncle Jack you are the greatest!" She flung her arms around him for a second time that night, before pulling back and staring at him. "How did you get these?" She asked, looking back at the pair of concert tickets in her hand, "They were sold out months ago!"

His hands deep within his pockets, Jack heaved his shoulders up and down. "Well, being a General has to have some perks, right?" Cassie simple grinned at him. "You can take that boyfriend of yours..." Jack pulled a hand out of his pocket and waved it around a bit, "Whatsisname...?" He threw a glance in Sam's direction.

"Sebastian," Sam supplied for him, a slight leer to her voice.

"Sebastian is _not_ my boyfriend!" Cassie cried, turning to glare at the woman over her shoulder.

"Could've fooled me..." Sam quipped.

Knowing full well how the two women in question interact, Jack reached out to grab Cassie's arm, turning her back round before she could respond. "Whatever," Jack waved another hand in the air, "Just make sure he looks after you... or he'll have _me_ to answer to..." Jack stared her down for a few moments, making his feelings clear. Cassie simply nodded her head in understanding, causing Jack to do the same. "Great!" He clapped his hands together, "Now... did I spy a cake?"

Cassie grinned and shook her head, "I get first slice!"

"Says who?" Jack feigned ignorance. "Did I not just hear the words 'Uncle Jack you are the greatest'?"

Loud groans fell out of both his girls' mouths and Jack strode over to stand behind Sam, placing his hands on her shoulders as Cassie practically ran to shield the cake on the table.

"Thanks for inviting me," he murmured into Sam's ear as they watched Mark light the candle and Melissa call in the children from the garden.

Sam turned in his grasp to look up at him, a small smile on her lips, and Jack used the movement as an excuse to let his hands drop to her waist. "I'm just glad that you came," she whispered back.

Dropping a kiss onto Sam's cheek, Jack turned back to the others in the room, watching as a chorus of 'Happy Birthday' rang out and Cassie blew out the candle. Pulling the woman in his arms closer to him, he allowed his lips to graze her ear again. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be," he uttered.


	14. Silent Support

A/N: There's one more chapter after this one....

* * *

The house was silent. The kids were sleeping in the den downstairs, Mark and Melissa in the spare room and Cassie in what Sam had dubbed her room since she stayed over when not at college.

Sam's head lay in the crook of Jack's arm, her hand on his chest. The only sound was of his heartbeat as it thundered beneath her ear. Raising it softly, Sam twisted her head to rest her chin on top of her hand. She looked at him through the darkness; his own eyes still open and staring up at the ceiling.

"Melissa thought you looked good in your uniform, by the way..." Her words were soft, almost a whisper. Not really the sentiment she wanted to express, but in the surrounding silence she had stumbled and said the first thing that popped into her head.

"Yeah?" Jack's gaze shifted down to hers, a slight smile on his lips.

Sam nodded. "Said you seemed perfect – that you must have some big flaw that no one knows about because no one can be a hard assed general and still be as considerate and affectionate as you..."

Jack almost chuckled at the absurd observation. "What did you say?"

"That you don't get to be a Major General without having seen and done some bad things in your time..."

Sam felt it as he swallowed, noticing that his eyes had flicked up to staring at the ceiling again.

To be painfully honest, the thought hadn't even crossed her mind before, until Melissa had made some throw away comment. Though part of her believed, in her sister-in-law's own way, it wasn't a throw away comment and was instead a covert way of dropping a hint or two to see how the notion sat in the bigger schemes of things. Things were still new and Sam wasn't inclined to discuss it with Jack yet, let alone a family member whom she'd somewhat drifted apart from. Her acknowledgement of Jack's fatherly role in Cassie's life would have been made in just the same way, whether she was in a relationship with him or not.

"When is it?" Sam asked, being careful not to stare too intently at his face, but trying to convey her support all the same. "His birthday?" She answered when he threw a raised eyebrow her way. "He'd be eighteen right?"

She felt his eyes meet hers, his gaze sweeping over her face, silently studying her. He shifted slightly, swallowing another lump in his throat before forcing the words out of his mouth. "Two months away..."

Raising her chin to look him directly, Sam tried to keep all emotion out of her voice. "We should head back to Colorado, maybe book a hotel for the weekend? Somewhere nearby..."

Jack's eyes were back on hers again and she held her breath, watching a flicker of anger and despair dart across his face. Finally he nodded and Sam deflated, resting her chin back down onto her hand again. She felt his hands trace up her back, the heat from each one seeping through the cotton of her pyjamas. Briefly pressing her lips to his chest, Sam shifted, settling back into his arms again. Instinctively, their arms tightened around each other and it wasn't until he let out a long sigh, that Sam felt him relax again.

"You've given me so much support these past few months," Sam found herself saying, just as his heartbeat began to regulate. "What with Dad and..." she paused, "Everything else... Cassie and work..." She stilled the hand that had subconsciously been tracing patterns on his skin. "You deserve to have the same level of support given to you... You need... I want..." The words dwindled out and Sam frowned into the darkness, slightly frustrated with herself.

As the words span round in her head, Jack shifted beneath her. Scooting down the bed, he pushed her onto her side, arranging themselves so that they were facing each other, eye to eye, and still within each other's grasp.

"Sam," Jack choked, "You already do support me... Even if you don't realise it," he shook his head. "Maybe I don't say it enough but you, doing what you do, being here for me – it's enough. Hearing your voice on the phone after a bad day; squeezing my hand when I see you; running your fingers through my hair..." They shared a small smile at his revelations and Jack tilted his head as he continued, "Flashing me that megawatt smile of yours..." Sam couldn't help but reward him for that one and Jack stifled back a laugh as she grinned right on cue. "I mean it..." Jack added softly.

Sam nodded at him, words suddenly failing her for a moment.

"Being in a house with a family again..." Jack avoided her gaze, his eyes shifting as though searching for the words in his mind. "It's good, but it's also... strange." He shrugged. "It's been a while..."

Sam squeezed his arm affectionately and watched as his eyes sought out hers again through the darkness. "Brought back memories....?"

It was more of a statement than a question but Jack nodded. "Not all bad," he said, offering her a sad smile.

"That's good to hear..." Sam murmured.

They lay in silence for few moments before Sam looked up to see Jack studying her again. He looked torn, and after he hesitated for what felt like an eternity, Sam frowned at him. "What?" She whispered.

"Just..." His words faltered, his eyes boring into hers, and Sam held her breath as she stared back. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, Jack launched himself forwards, claiming her lips. Blood soared in her ears, her heart pounded in her chest and Sam felt the intensity filled within his kiss filter through to her own skin.

Pulling back, Sam was breathless, and she stared at him with a mixture of passion and confusion on her face.

"I missed you," Jack murmured, his face hovering close to hers.

Sam smiled as his breath caressed her lips, her eyes instinctively closing. "Me too..."

Although nothing more was said, Sam knew that all the other unspoken words were filed away. His kiss a silent promise, that when they were ready, another discussion could be had. They were happy with the way things were. As frustrating and cryptic as they could both be sometimes, she knew that with time, things would change. And for the better.

A contented sigh escaped her lips and Sam opened her eyes to see Jack smirking at her. A slow smile crept across her face.

Yes, things were certainly getting better.


	15. The Right Thing

A/N: This is it people - last chapter! Thanks for all the reviews and encouragement! There seems to be an error, as it wouldn't let me reply to some of you personally, but I am immensely grateful. Enjoy!

* * *

Sam was the first one to say it. Although if she was completely honest, she knew that it was Jack who uttered the four letter word before things had actually got off the ground.

Jack had just informed her of the Air Force's intention to send her back to the SGC; back to the front line. His concern for her well being seemed to bring her own fears to the surface and she'd blurted out the words even before she knew what it was that bothered her so much about going back.

"I love you."

Jack had simply stared at her for a moment before taking a few steps forward and stopping at her feet. Taking her hands in his, he glanced up from their joined fingers to search her face. "I love you too."

Sam attempted a lopsided smile, "A few more days warning would have been nice..."

"I know... Bloody Ori! We just get rid of the Goa'uld and then they sweep in and..." He waved a hand in the air, not knowing how to finish his sentence.

Sam got the gesture anyway. "What if I don't want to go?" She asked softly. "What if I like it in Nevada?"

"Do you?" Jack asked. "Want to stay in Nevada?" He studied her for a moment, eyes flickering across her face.

Saying nothing, Sam simply curled her bottom lip between her teeth and blinked at him. Releasing a long awaited sigh, she shook her head. "I don't know," She finally replied. "I guess..."

"What?" Jack whispered.

"I guess I'll just miss what it stands for, more than anything." She stared into his eyes. "I like how things are right now. Going back is almost like saying nothing's changed, and it has. I have. You have..."

Jack rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "Sam, despite the fact that putting you back on the front line scares me half to death, nothing, be it Air Force, Ori or gossiping officers, is going change things between us. You have to believe that."

Nodding, Sam blew out a deep breath, "I do..."

Jack leaned forwards and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked.

"Yeah," Sam nodded, "Just a crazy moment." She paused a moment before adding, "Does Landry know?"

"Well, I've never mentioned your name but he knows I'm seeing someone and he drops hints every so often, that we both know I pretend to ignore. He's not stupid."

"Well that saves me from one explanation, at least..."

"Actually," Jack leaned forwards, "I was thinking about having a little fun with that...." He murmured something in her ear and Sam chuckled, savouring his warmth and close proximity.

-0-

That was a month ago, and although they'd both uttered them several times since, never had the words held so much weight before. Sitting in her car with the vehicle in park, Sam found herself saying those familiar words again. Only this time the concern was all hers.

Another car sat in a space a few yards away and Sam glanced at the shadowy figure halfway down the cemetery. Turning back to Jack, she gave his arm a quick squeeze before leaning over to place a kiss on his cheek. "I'll stay here..."

Nodding, Jack remained silent, and slipped out of the passenger side, his own figure becoming another shadow in the morning sun moments later.

-0-

Jack crouched down to the figure next to him and placed the single white rose at the base of the headstone. He stared at the engraved letters before him until they started to jumble and blur. The jerk of his head as he turned away was enough to allow his companion to finally speak.

"I wasn't sure if you'd come," Sarah whispered. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"I've moved to Washington," Jack replied, his voice sounding deep in the crisp morning air. "Got a promotion..."

"Really?" Sarah turned to look him in the eye, sad smile on her lips. "I'm happy for you, Jack."

Jack simply shrugged and stared back at the headstone. "How are the kids?" He asked, motioning to the handmade birthday cards obviously drawn by young hands.

"They're good," Sarah nodded. She glanced back at the car, seeing another figure leaning against a car and chatting to her husband. "I see you brought someone..." She said, forcing Jack to follow her gaze. "What's her name?"

"Sam," He replied. "She's an astrophysicist..." Jack didn't think Sarah would remember her, and so decided to leave out the conversation about the Air Force. "Yeah, I know," Jack said with a smirk when he saw Sarah's expression. "I can't quite believe it either, but for some reason she likes me so..."

The two shared a small smile and for a moment, Jack couldn't quite believe he was sitting there, talking to his ex-wife about his new girlfriend. They saw each other every so often at Charlie's grave and Sarah had spoken to him many times about Steven. In fact he remembered clearly the day that she had told him that she was getting married again. He'd never admitted it, but at the time he'd actually felt relieved that she'd finally moved on, if not a little envious too.

"Do you talk to her...? About Charlie?"

Jack glanced up at the petite woman, frown creasing his brow. He picked at some grass beneath his feet. "Her father recently died..."

Knowing him as well as she did, Sarah didn't miss a beat. "Then she has an idea of what you're going through..."

Jack just stared at her, not saying a word. Finally he nodded before gazing out at the car park. "We have a kid... Cassie." He turned back to Sarah, hoping she didn't jump to the wrong conclusion. "Her mom was a friend of ours – died over a year ago. Cass lives with Sam... Though she's hardly a kid anymore. I remember teaching her to play baseball and now she's away at college." Jack shrugged. He didn't know why he felt the need to tell Sarah, but something inside him felt compelled to escape.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Sarah asked softly.

Jack smiled grimly and nodded his head.

"It will never go away Jack, I don't doubt that. But sometimes... sometimes things get easier when you allow yourself to live..."

They sat in silence for a few moments longer, until Sarah reached over and squeezed Jack's hand. "You deserve to be happy." And with that she got up to leave. She smiled down at him as Jack remained on the ground, still a little stunned. "Take care of yourself Jack."

Jack watched her disappear down the path, slowly getting to his feet as the figures in the car park dissipated. Finally, a solitary shadow emerged and Jack found himself smiling as Sam came to a stop before him. She frowned at his odd expression, reaching up to pull him towards her. Jack allowed himself to fall into her grasp, his own arms naturally enveloping around her.

"So," He said, his voice muffled by her hair, "When he turns twenty one, I'm bringing him a beer..."

Sam smiled into his shoulder. Pulling back she looked into his eyes, a sad smile reflecting his own. "Just one?"

"That's what I love about you Sam."

"What's that?" She asked, arms hanging loosely around his neck.

"You always say the right thing..."

Sam smiled and stared into his eyes. "Well I guess that makes two of us..."

THE END


End file.
